Double glazed window



Aug. 3, 1937. J. H. FOX

DOUBLE GLAZED WINDOW 3 SheetsSheet 2 Filed Dec. 13, 1935 I I I u IINVENTOR. (/oH/V Hf-o/ mNEYS.

Aug. 3, 1937. H, ox 2,088,738

. DOUBLE GLAZED WINDOW Filed Dec. 15, 1935 s Sheets-Sheet s II y/I/l/ INVEN TOR.

C/OHN H FOX TORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 3, 1937 UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE DOUBLE GLAZED WINDOWJohn H. Fox, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Pittsburgh Plate GlassCompany, a corporation of Pennsylvania 9 Claims.

The invention relates to a double glazed window construction andparticularly to means which may be employed for dehydrating the air orother gas between the glass sheets and for maintaining a condition ofdehydration, so that condensation on the inner faces of the sheets isprevented. The invention has for its principal objects, the provision ofimproved means which may be applied to the frame in which the glasssheets are mounted, which permits of the ready dehydration of the gasbetween the sheets without removing the double glazed unit from itsmounting in a sash or in a car wall, and the provision of a device ofvery compact character which carries a dehydrating agent (incommunication with the space between the glass sheet) so arranged that aready replacement of the agent can be efiected when the agent has lostits drying eil'ect without permitting any inflow of dust-laden airduring the replacement step.

Certain embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a front elevation of one of the improvedunits. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 11-11 of Fig. 1, such figureincluding in addition the car framing in which the unit is mounted. Fig.3 is a section on the line IIII[I of Fig. 1 and also includes a showingof the car framing. Fig. 4 is a section on the line IVIV of Fig. 3.

' Fig. 5 is a section on an enlarged scale through the plug employed indehydrating the unit. Fig. 6 is an end view of the plug. Fig. 7 is asection through a tool used in connection with the dehydratingoperation. And Fig. 8 is a section I similar to Fig. 4 through amodification.

The glazing unit comprises the usual glass sheets I and 2 (Fig.2) withthe interposed spacer 3 of rubber and a U-shaped frame of the type shownin the application of John H. Fox and Charles E. Stroud, Serial No.37,036, filed August 20, 1935. This frame consists of the two sections 4and 5 having the hook interlock I and the I wedge 3 for holding theparts in assembled relation. The composite frame is mounted in a U-shaped packing 9 carried by the car framing,

which in this instance, is shown as made up of the members I0 and II. I

Mounted on a comer of the unit and secured in place by the screws I2 isa casing I3 provided with a transversely extending cavity I4 threadedinteriorly to receive the casing I5, which carries a suitabledehydrating agent I6, such as aluminum oxide. When this casing isscrewed into place, it is packed by means of the gasket I1,

the inner end of the casing being closed. by a removable perforated lidI8. Lying just inside of this lid is a screening or filter member I9preferably of felt or similar material. The inner portion of the cavityI4 has in communication therewith a pair of passages 20v and 2I (Fig. 54) having the enlargements 22 and 23 at their ends. Gaskets 24 of rubberare provided in these ends and receive the outer tapered ends of thetubes 25, 25. These tubes 25 extend through the frame of the unit andthrough the rubber spacer 10 3, as indicated in Fig. 4, thus providingcom munication between the cavity I4 and the insulating space 26 betweenthe glass sheets, so that the space between the glass sheets isconstantly in communication with the interior of the 15 casing I5, whichcarries the dehydrating mate rial. As a result, the humidity of the gasin the space between the glass sheets is maintained at a relatively lowpoin as long as the humidifying agent I6 is active. The gas in the spacebetween the glass sheets'is, therefore, maintained relatively dry for along period.

When the dehydrating material loses its drying capacity and anycloudiness due to condensation appears on the inner faces of the glass25 sheets, the casing I5 may be removed and a new one substitutedcontaining a fresh charge of dehydrating material. This renewal isreadily accomplished by reason of the location of the easing I5, asindicated in Fig. 3, such casing pro- 30 jectlng through the plate II,which constitutes the inner member of the car frame. The making of thetubes 25, 25 separate from the casing I3 instead of integral therewithis advantageous, as it is much easier to position the tubes when 35 theyare separate from the casing, and then subsequently fit the casingthereover, than it is to fit a casing to the frame of the unit with thetubes attached thereto.

Fig.- 5 illustrates the device which is prefer- 40 ably employed indehydrating the unit in the first instance, or in dehydrating it afterone of the casings I5 has been removed and before the application ofanother one. This device includes a sleeve 21 which is provided with the45 gasket 28 and threaded at its inner end so that it screws into thecasing I3. Fitting slidably in the sleeve is a tube 29 provided with thepassages 30 and 3|, the passage 3| at its outer end opening to theatmosphere, while the passage 30 has at its 50 outer end the threadedportion 32 adapted to be connected to a supply tube, such supply tube inturn leading to a container in which is carried a body of dehydrated airor inert gas, such as nitrogen. Secured to the inner end of the 55positioned in the cavity ll asing II, the ends of the tubes I and ,Il

isterwiththeinnerendsofthepassagesll 10 forced it. for a sufiicientperiod. any mcisture-ladengas betweentheglasssheetsisremovedandadrycavity I. The end of the sleeve 21 surrounding the tube It is slotted,asindicated at TI (Pig. 5) and threaded. This threaded end carries aclamping sleeve as which locks the sleeve tothetubewhenitisscrewedinwardoverthe tapering portion of the sleeve. This arran em tpermitsthetubelltoberotatedinthesleevelltobringtheendsofthetubesilandliinto registration with the ends of thepassages ll and II and insures a tight joint between the sleeve and thetube when the clamping sleeve 38 is screwed inward. This dehydratingconnection can be used to advantage even when the casing ll carryingdehydrating material is not employed, in which case the cavity I maybeclosedbyascrewcapwhichdoesnotemploya cavity for dehydrating material.

Fig. '1 illustrates a tool which may be employed so to advantage toprevent the entrance of any dustladen air to the window-space when itbecomes necessary to change the container Ii. when thischangeisaccomplished,thespacebetweenthe glass sheets may be belowatmospheric as so that on unscrewing the casingbeaiiowofalrtothespacebetweentheglass sheet. In case'this occurs in thepresence of moisture-laden or dust-laden air, the inner surfaces of theglass sheets may be covered with 50 condensation and dust if this is notguarded against. To avoid this difiiculty, the device of Fig. 7 isemployed, comprising a casing ll provided with a gasket II which may bepressed up against the end of the casing II. The casing 55 it isprovided with a packing gland ll, through which extends the shaft 4!provided with a gimlet end 43 and having a handle 44. The end of thecasing II is relatively thin, so that it may be readily punctured onpressing the shaft 42 60 inward and turning it. The cavity 4' in whichthe gimiet end 43 is located has connected thereto a tube It providedwith a valve" 'and a flexible pipe 48 leading to a container, such as arubberbagcarryingadrygas, either airor 65 nitrogen. when the end of thecasing I! is punctured, any inflow of gas to the space betweentheglasssheetsisfreeofdustanddryincharacter, so that no injury results,such as would occur if the air were moist and dust-laden. 70 By the useof this device a'partial drying of the gas between the glass sheets isaccomplished. so that the subsequent drying operation requires lesstime. The use of the tool, as above described, is followed by thedehydrating operation 75 employing the plug shown in Fig. 5, afterwhich.

pressure. II. there willanewcasingsimllartothecasing llandcarrying adehydrating agent is screwed into position.

The device as described and illustrated is applicahie not only to carwindows, but also to the windows of buildings ofthe double glazed type 6and permits of the ready dehydration of the units without removing themfrom position, thus reducing the dehydrating cost to a minimum. Thecontainers for the dehydrating material are relatively inconspicuous andmay be removed and 10 replaced at small expense. By their use the periodbetween dehydrating operations is greatly lengthenedandinmanycasestheremoval and replacement of the units at regularintervals is all that is to keep the windows from clouding and to removeany cloudiness when such cloudiness appears.

It. 8 illustrates a modification which differs from that ofl'lg. 4 inthat the casing Ito is ap- .pliedtooneoftheiiatsidesoftheunit adjacentthe corner. It is preferably applied adjacent the corner,.as itis foundthat in dehydrating a much bettercirculationoccurswherethetwo adjacenttubes II, ll are located near the corner of the unit. Under theseconditions. the incoming gasfromthetuhenexttotheverticalsideof the unitflows down along such side. circulatesaroundtheperlpheryoftheunitandmakesits exitthroughtheothertube.Aunitmaybe dehydrated with this arrangement much morerapidlythanifthetuhesareplacedatopposite corners of the unit or atopposite sides thereof, so that the arrangement involving the use of thetwo tubes adjacent each other at one corner of the unit is advantageous,not only because of the greater compactness and lower cost, but alsobecause of the better circulation which is se cured. this materiallyshm'tening the time for dehydrating the unit. Thh circulation is furtherimproved by either cooling the incoming gas by 40 circulating itthrougha cooler before it reaches thecasingl8,orl1yapplyinsheattothevertical edge of the unit opposite to thevertical edge at which the gas is introduced. The improved circulationproduced by this corner arrangement involving two tubes has beendemonstrated by comparative tests of the present arrangement, ascompared with one in which the tubes are located at opposite corners ofthe unit.

What I claim is:

1. In combination in a double glared window construction, a pair ofopposing glass sheets spacedapart,aspacerbetweenthesheetsattheir-margins, which acts as a seal, a frame oi metal of U cross sectionaround the edges of the sheets, a pair of tubes adjacent each otherextending through the base portion of the frame and the spacer, a casingmounted on the base portion of the frame over the outer ends of saidtubes and provided with a pair of passages in communiso cation with saidtubes and with a cavity of circular cross section extending transverselyof the casing and glass sheets and communicating withsaid,aphigprovidedwithapairofpassages extending longitudinally thereofadapted as to fit removably into the cavity with the inner ends of thepassages in registration with the ends of the first pair of passages,one of said passages in the plug communicating at its outer end with theatmosphere and the other passage having at its 'outer end means forconnecting it with a conduit for supplying dehydrated gas, and means forclodng the outer end of the cavity when the plug is removed therefrom.

2. In combination in a double glazed window acemes construction, a pairof opposing glass sheets spaced apart, a spacer between the sheets attheir margins which acts as a seal, a frame of metal of U cross sectionaround the edges of the sheets, a pair of tubes adjacent each otherextending through the base portion of theframe and the spacer, a casingmounted on the base portionof the frame over the outer endsof said tubesand provided with a pair of passages in communication with said tubesand with a cavity of circular cross section extending transversely ofthe casing and glass sheets and communicating with said passages, a plugprovided with a pair of passages extending longitudinally thereofadapted to fit removably into the cavity with the inner ends of thepassages in registration with the ends of the first pair of passages,one of said passages in the plug communicating at its outer end with theatmosphere and the other passage having at its outer end means forconnecting it with a conduit for supplying dehydrated gas, and means forclosing the outer end of the cavity when the plug is removed therefrom,said last means consisting of a container opening into the cavity andpro: vided with a body of dehydrating material.

3. In combination in a double glazed window construction, a pair ofopposing glass sheets spaced apart, a spacer between the sheets at theirmargins which acts as a seal, a frame of metal of U cross section aroundthe edges of the sheets, a pair of tubes adjacent each other extendingthrough the base portion of the frame and the spacer, a casing mountedon the base portion of the frame over the outer ends of said tubes andprovided with a pair of passages in communication with said tubes andwith a cavity of circular, cross section extending transversely of thecasing and glass sheets and communicating with said passages, a plugprovided with a pair of passages extending longitudinally thereofadapted to fit removably into the cavity with the inner ends of thepassages in registration with the ends of the first pair of passages,one of said passages in the plug communicating at its outer end with theatmosphere and the other passage having at its outer end means forconnecting it with a conduit for supplying dehydrated gas, a sleeve onthe plug threaded into the wall of the cavity for securing the plug inthe cavity, means carried by the sleeve for locking the plug againstrelative movement therein, and means for closing the outer end of thecavity when the plug and sleeve are removed therefrom.

4. In combination with a double glazed window consisting of a pair ofglass sheets. with a spacer between the sheets at their edge which actsas a seal, means for securing a circulation of dehydrated gas betweenthe sheets comprising a pair of tubes extending through the seal at oneof the upper corners of the window and adjacent each other, one of whichacts as an inlet to the space between the sheets and the other of whichacts as an outlet and a connection for the outer end of the inlet tubewhereby a dehydrated gas may be supplied to said space.

5. In combination in a double glazed window construction, a pair ofopposing glass sheets spaced apart, a spacer between the sheets at theirmargins which acts as a seal, a frame of metal of U cross section aroundthe edges of the sheets, a pair of tubes adjacent each other extendingthrough the base portion of the frame and the spacer, a casing mountedon the base portion of the frame over the outer ends of said tubes andprovided with a pair of passages in communicaing at its outer end meansfor connecting it with a conduit for supplying dehydrated gas, means forclosing the outer end of the cavity when the plug is removedconsistingof a cylindrical casing containing a dehydrating material andopening to the interior of the casing, said container having aperforable outer end, and means for perforating such outer end of thecontainer while sealing the perforation from the atmosphere, comprisinga cover member adapted to fit over and make a seal with the containerand provided with a connection leading to a suply of dehydrated gas, anda perforating tool slidably mounted in the cover member and operablefrom the exterior thereof to perforate the end of the container.

6. In combination in a double glazed window construction, a pair ofopposing glass sheets spaced apart, a spacer between the sheets at theirmargins, which act as a seal, a frame of metal of U cross section aroundthe edges of the sheets, a pair of tubes adjacent each other extendingthrough the base portion of the frame and the spacer, a casing mountedon the base portion of the frame over the outer ends of said tubes andprovided with a pair of passages in communication with said tubes andwith a cavity of circular cross section extending transversely of thecasing and glass sheets and communicating with said passages, and meansfor closing the outer end of the cavity comprising a detachablecontainer communicating with the cavity and carrying a body ofdehydrating material.

7. In combination in a double glazed window construction, a pair ofopposing glass sheets spaced apart, a spacer between the sheets at theirmargins, which act as a Seal, a frame of metal of U cross section aroundthe edges of the sheets, a pair of tubes adjacent each other extendingthrough the base portion of the frame and the spacer, a casing mountedon the base portion of the frame over the outer ends of said tubes andprovided with a pair of passages in communication with said tubes andwith a cavity of circular cross section extending transversely of thecasing and glass sheets and communicating with said passages, and meansfor closing the outer end of the cavity comprising a detachablecontainer carrying a body of dehydrating material and having a removableperforated lid at its inner end.

8. In combination in a double glazed window construction, a pair ofopposing glass sheets spaced apart, a spacer between the sheets at theirmargins, which act as a seal, a frame of' metal of U cross sectionaround the edges of the sheets, a pair of tubes adjacent each otherextending through the base portion of the frame and the spacer, a casingmounted on the base portion of the frame over the outer ends of saidtubes and provided with a pair of passages in communication with saidtubes and with a cavity of circular cross section extending transverselyof the casing and glass sheets and communicating with said passages, andmeans for closing the outer end of the cavity comprising a tubularcontainer threaded into the cavity and metal of U cross section aroundthe edges 0! the sheets, a casing mounted on the base portion of theframe, and having mounted on its inner side a pair oi tubes which extendthrough the base portion of the frame and the spacer, said casing alsobeing provided with a transverse cavity having communications leading tothe inner endsotthetubes,aplugadaptedtofltintothe cavity and providedwith a pair oi. passages adapted to communicate with said tubes fordehydrating purposes. and means for closing the outer end of the cavitywhen the plug is removed.

JOHN H. FOX.

